Educational Leadership

  • Michaela Ott

    Michaela Ott: Choosing Lehigh Over and Over Again

    Proudly born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, Michaela Ott came to Lehigh University as an undergraduate and fell in love with the campus, the community, and the world-class pedagogy. When it came time to look at graduate school, the choice to stay was easy.

    "I would choose Lehigh over and over again," Ott says. "I had the most incredible time as an undergraduate student, which is why I chose to stay for graduate school. The knowledge, expertise, and pedagogy I received was world-class."

  • Radha Ericson

    Student Spotlight: Radha Ericson

    A 2026 graduate in the COE's Educational Leadership doctoral program, Radha Ericson was recently appointed Supervisor of Teaching and Learning in the Tulpehocken Area School District. During her time at Lehigh, Ericson was selected for the Professor's Choice Scholarship (2023) and the Graduate Student Champion Award (2024).

  • Erica Silver

    Erica Silver: Finding the Leader Within

    A native of the Lehigh Valley, Erica Silver has spent years shaping the region’s cultural landscape through music education. From directing choral programs and middle school musicals at Springhouse Middle School to leading the youngest performing group in the prestigious Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Silver's dedication to her students has always been clear.

    When she decided to return to school, she sought an institution that could match her drive while understanding her roots. Silver chose Lehigh because she wanted a university "big enough to challenge me and small enough to support me," featuring a robust in-person format. However, her trajectory changed entirely once she arrived.

  • Kristin Tester

    Student Spotlight: Kristin Tester

    After years of work in the field, Kristin Tester returned to Lehigh in 2023 to pursue her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction Certification. When looking for a doctoral program, she sought an environment that championed multiculturalism and student support. Tester found that community before she even took her first class. This intentional culture of connection reassured her that she was joining a community that truly cared about the success and well-being of its individual students.

  • Liz Sims

    Iacocca Hallways Showcase Local K-12 Artists

    For Liz Sims, a doctoral student in the COE's Educational Leadership program, the blank walls of Iacocca Hall provided inspiration. Sims, who teaches art full-time at Valley Forge Elementary, recognized an opportunity to bridge the gap between the COE’s graduate training and the creative energy of local K-12 classrooms.

  • Navigating DEI in Urban Classrooms

    Navigating DEI in Urban Classrooms

    As DEI initiatives face increased scrutiny, educators seek a path forward. Nowhere is this path more necessary than in urban schools that face unique challenges to provide a curriculum that addresses the needs of racially and economically diverse student populations. In the latest issue of TEACH magazine, Floyd Beachum, COE professor of Educational Leadership, outlines his thoughts on the challenges educators face and where we can go from here.